Twin brothers Dwight and Duane Lewis tended the Southport Bridge for a combined ninety years, their father Norman tended the bridge for 42 years, and their sister Ruth for 10 years. The brothers also tended the South Bristol and Trevett bridges.

In their talk, “The Bridge Tenders,” on Thursday, July 13, at the Boothbay Region Historical Society museum, Dwight and Duane will reminisce about their fascinating and unusual experiences on some or all of these bridges.

The Southport Bridge is one of the few remaining moveable bridges in Maine, and it still swings. This type of bridge, once common, is now rare. When the bridge was built in 1939, it was hand-operated, but it has since been automated. From 1940 until Duane retired in 2013, there was always a Lewis tending the bridge; Dwight retired in 2012. Each tended the Southport Bridge for 45 years. In their job as tenders, Dwight and Duane knew all the local fishermen, but they also met people from all over the world, and even tracked down a stolen boat. In the winter, bridge traffic was slow, but during the summer the bridge might be
opened 1500 times a month.

“The Bridge Tenders" is the third program in the Boothbay Region Historical Society’s 2023 Speaker Series. Check the website at www.boothbayhistorical.org for more information or call the museum at 207-633-0820. Doors open at 4:15 p.m., and the program begins at 4:30. Please arrive early as seating is limited. We regret we cannot reserve seats or allow for standees.

The Boothbay Region Historical Society is located at 72 Oak St. in Boothbay Harbor, just across the street from The First National Bank parking lot.